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| Terror Behind the Walls ranked the #1 Haunted House in America!Oct 14, ’08 AOL City Guide, the nation's largest and the internet's most popular online entertainment guide, has ranked Terror Behind the Walls as “#1 Haunted House in America!" Terror Behind the Walls, which had previously been ranked #5 by AOL, is now the only haunted attraction from Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware to ever earn the #1 spot on a national list of top haunted houses in America. The list includes twelve other "destination haunts," attractions that draw Halloween enthusiasts nationwide for their unique, one-of-a-kind environments, including Netherworld (#8), in Atlanta, GA, innovators of makeup and costuming techniques that are now considered the industry standard and The 13th Gate (#2), in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, whose elaborate sets and attention to detail are considered by many to be the best in the industry. In recent years, Terror Behind the Walls has consistently been ranked as one of the top haunted attractions in the nation. Previous recognitions include: "6th Best Haunted House in the United States" by Hauntworld Magazine (2007), “The scariest haunted house in America!” by the Rachael Ray Daytime Talk Show (2007), “One of America‘s Scariest Halloween Attractions” by The Travel Channel (2006), "5th Best Haunted House in the United States" by AOL City Guide (2006), "Readers Pick Award" by Seventeen Magazine (2006), "Best Haunted Attraction" by The Scare Factor! (2005), "6th Best Haunted House in the United States" by AOL City Guide (2005), "9th Best Haunted House in the United States" by Hauntworld Magazine (2004) and "Best Professional Haunted House" by Hauntfreaks.com (2003). | |
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Special tour and book signing with author Paul KahanOct 14, ’08 To celebrate the release of The History Press' new book, Eastern State Penitentiary: A History, the author, Paul Kahan, will visit Eastern State for a special guided tour, followed by a meet and greet and book signing. The tour will take place on Sunday, October 19 at 11 am, followed by the book signing at 12:30. | ||
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| 2008 Members' Photo ContestOct 7, ’08 The 2008 Members' Photo Contest took place on Saturday, October 4. Members of Eastern State Penitentiary were invited to discuss, swap, and share their favorite photographs of the penitentiary with each other. They also had the opportunity to submit one photo for each of two judging categories: best color photo as well as best black and white photo. We had a record number of entries this year - 24 in the color photo category and 22 in the black and white category! Serving as judge was Tom Berault, Professor of Art, Prince George's Community College and Curator/Director, Marlboro Gallery. Congratulations to our two winners for 2008: Patricia Leeb of Baltimore, Maryland for the color photo category and Seth Leader from Newark, DE in the black and white photo category. Their winning photos are posted to the left of this story. | |
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We're Hiring All Kinds of People for HalloweenAug 13, ’08 Halloween isn't just one night at Eastern State Penitentiary. Our acclaimed event, Terror Behind the Walls, runs 27 nights from September 19 to November 2. Much of the planning and training take place in September. Auditions / Interviews are currently being held for all positions including actors, ticket handlers, line staff, story tellers, retail staff and box office staff. Save time! Download our 2008 application, fill it out, and bring it with you. Not only will you save time at the audition/interview, but you will also be placed ahead of applicants who are filling out the application when they arrive. These jobs are demanding, and FUN. Many people return year after year to join our "Scream Team!" Pay starts at $9.00 per hour, more for management positions. All staff must be 18 years old or older and pass a background check. Eastern State Penitentiary is an equal opportunity employer. Auditions / Interviews will be held on the following days/times:
Positions are filled on a first come, first hired basis. All auditions/interviews are held at Eastern State Penitentiary at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue. Please see www.EasternState.org/jobs for complete details. | ||
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| Sutton vs. Klinedinst - See who won our Tunnel Escape Debate!Aug 4, ’08
Eastern State Penitentiary
hosted a Tunnel Escape Weekend commemorating one of the most famous prison
breaks in American history, the 1945 Tunnel Escape. The event featured
ongoing debates between two actors - one portraying Clarence Klinedinst and one
portraying "Slick Willie" Sutton. Visitors had the opportunity
to hear their conflicting accounts of who designed the tunnel, how it was
built, why the escapees got caught, and vote on who they believed was telling
the truth. After tallying the votes throughout the weekend, the results
are in! By a margin of 287-216,
most visitors believed that Clarence Klinedinst's story was the most accurate! Visitors to Eastern State
this weekend were also able to participate in a number of family activities
including a matching mystery word game about some of the most interesting and
daring escapes in the penitentiary's history and an opportunity to create a
design for an escape-proof prison. | |
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Transformers 2 Films Scenes at Eastern StateJun 30, ’08 We were thrilled to welcome the cast and crew of Transformers 2 to Eastern State Penitentiary! The sequel to last summer's blockbuster recently filmed scenes in Eastern State's Cellblock 7 as well as outside in the Industrial Building Courtyard. You can see in the top photo the massive helium-filled balloon light that was used to simulate moonlight. The next photo shows the cast and crew on the set created at Eastern State. The final photo shows the car cast as "Bumblebee" exiting Eastern State during filming. While on site, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Michael Bay enjoyed a tour of Eastern State including some areas used during Terror Behind the Walls, including Cellblock 12, the home of Lock Down. | ||
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| DarknessRadio.com/T.A.P.S. Auction Raises $18,000May 16, ’08
Darkness Radio and T.A.P.S., from the hit Sci-Fi show Ghost Hunters, held their second annual paranormal experience weekend this month in Philadelphia. The sold out, three day event, called Paranormal Parole Revoked, featured celebrity led paranormal investigations at Eastern State Penitentiary and discussions about the paranormal phenomena. The weekend also included a Live Charity Auction on May 1 to benefit Eastern State. The event featured celebrities Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson from Ghost Hunters, Chris Fleming of the TV show Dead Famous, Patrick Burns from Haunting Evidence on TruTV, paranormal legends John Zaffis, Alexander Holzer, and Linda Zimmerman, and Dave and Tim of DarknessRadio.com. An amazing $18,000 was raised during the event. The funds from the auction will be used for Eastern State’s Solarium Appeal. The small, sunny Solarium above the hospital block tells the story of a prison system struggling to keep a deadly disease under control. Today, the Solarium remains sunny and open, overlooking the baseball diamond, but it is in dire shape. Its severely leaking roof threatens not only the Solarium’s future, but the future of the entire Hospital Block below. To lose either of these spaces would be a terrible loss as they present the perfect place to host exhibits on medical treatment inside prisons, the evolving technology and standards of treatment, and the return of widespread tuberculosis outbreaks in prisons today. Darkness of the Edge of Town Paranormal Radio show can be heard live every Sunday night at www.DarknessRadio.com. Jason and Grant can be heard live Saturday nights on www.BeyondRealityRadio.com with their paranormal based radio show Beyond Reality and their show Ghost Hunters can be seen every Wednesday night on the Sci-Fi Channel. | |
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| ESP creates new Theatrical Director position for Terror Behind the WallsApr 21, ’08 Terror Behind the Walls veteran manager, Nathan Edmondson, will serve as the event’s first Theatrical Director. As part of the newly created position, Edmondson will be responsible for all aspects of the show’s theatrical elements, including training and coaching over 100 actors that staff the event’s five haunted attractions. Nathan Edmondson joined Terror Behind the Walls in 2002 as the manager of the Medical Ward and has managed many of the event’s attractions over the years. In addition to scaring people, he has experience in the traditional theatre community in Philadelphia, performing with EgoPo Productions, Flashpoint Theatre Company, Once Upon a Nation (as Thomas Jefferson) and the Arden Theater. In the Comedy Improv world, he’s a member of the popular troupe, the Rare Bird Show, and an instructor for the Philly Improv Theater. | |
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ESP Documentary Screening at Newport Beach Film FestivalApr 14, ’08 Eastern State: Living Behind the Walls, a documentary which explores the history and significance of the world’s first penitentiary, will have its West Coast premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Sunday, April 27, 2008. Set a few blocks from the coastline and less than an hour from Hollywood, the Newport Film Festival draws 40,000 attendees to its multicultural screenings, tributes, seminars, and post-screening Q&A’s. Eastern State: Living Behind the Walls is directed by Philadelphia native Tony Alosi, with music composed by Cody Westheimer. For more information on the film or to view the trailer, visit the Eastern State: Living Behind the Walls website. For more information on the Newport Beach Film Festival, visit www.newportbeachfilmfest.com. | ||
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Eastern State Penitentiary has "Lights Out" for Climate ChangeMar 25, ’08 On Saturday, March 29 from 8 pm to 9 pm, Eastern State Penitentiary will have its first official “Lights Out” in over 30 years. The historic site will be turning off all perimeter and interior lights (street lights will remain on) to show support for Earth Hour, an international climate change program. | ||
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.
2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130